What you missed in the Nintendo Direct

If you’re a fan of Nintendo then you probably know about their periodical Nintendo Direct broadcasts. These are the place for them to talk about the new games they’ve been cooking up and what to expect in the coming months. What you might not have known is that one just launched, and it was a doozy. Sit back, relax, and let us share the highlights with you.

First, it seems like the Wario series is getting a new installment after a bit of a hiatus. WarioWare Gold will be launching August 3rd for the 3DS, bringing back the garlic-craving glutton (gross!) and the “microgame” playstyle his series has become known for.

Speaking of Mario-adjacent titles on the 3DS, it was also announced that the classic Gamecube title Luigi’s Mansion will be getting a handheld remake with promises of “an updated look and new features.” What exactly are those features? It’s as big a mystery as the mansion itself, but I’m just happy to see the green plumber getting a little bit of the limelight back. Expect to be in the mansion and sucking up ghosts at some point this year.

And to round off the Mario-ish games coming to 3DS, Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story will also be getting a remake. Titled Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey, it comes off the heels of the remake of Superstar Saga and will probably be similar in execution. Why they decided to skip over Partners in Time is anyone’s guess, but you can expect to be playing with the plumber brothers and their Koopa comrade in 2019.

The Switch also had some exciting announcements, and Nintendo fans have a lot to look forward to in the next few months. Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes will be launching later this year, and though we already knew about Dark Souls Remastered, an accompanying amiibo of Solaire of Astora will be released on the game’s launch! To say that it was unexpected is an understatement, but here we are! Praise the… well, you get it.

Nintendo themselves have also apparently been busy developing new games. Mario Tennis Aces is set to release on June 22nd of this year and promises to bring back the much-beloved story mode of older titles as well as a variety of new game modes and control schemes. Guess Nintendo really had an ace up their sleeve, eh? Eh? Okay, sorry, that was bad.

Also upcoming is a Switch (and 3DS) version of Captain Toad’s Treasure Tracker, because… there was such a high demand for it? I guess? In any event, the Switch version promises new levels based on worlds from Super Mario Odyssey, so maybe this time around people will give it a try. The 3DS version promises 3D visuals and touchscreen controls, which are—trust us—just as good. Track them down July 13th, 2018.

Other big Switch announcements included the reveal of a Switch port of the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, marking the first time ever the marsupial has been on a Nintendo system. You can pick it up starting July 10th. If you’re looking for a new Switch game a little sooner, check out the port of South Park: The Fractured But Whole, dropping on April 24th. Nintendo’s own Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition will also be arriving soon, with a release date of May 18th, and includes all content from previous versions of the game.

Last but certainly not least, there was a ton revealed about Splatoon 2! Not only is the 3.0 version dropping this April with tons of new content, but a giant new single-player DLC called the “Octo Expansion” is coming this summer, and promises the ability to play as the fan-favorite Octolings! Plus, amiibo for the characters Pearl and Marina will be arriving July 13th, meaning tons of new content for Splatoon fans!

…Wait, did we say that was the last announcement? We could have sworn there was something else. We mentioned the Captain Toad rerelease, right? What else could there be…?

Oh, right: Super Smash Bros. will be coming to the Nintendo Switch this year! While there are scant details so far, the Inklings from Splatoon are confirmed newcomers, and Mario and Link will definitely be returning. The hype is already tangible, people.

So that was the Nintendo Direct! While there were some other announcements made (like Undertale coming to the Nintendo eshop, woo!), these were the highlights. If you want to see the whole thing for yourself, including some of the smaller titles being launched soon, you can check it out here.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go brush up on my Smash Bros. skills.

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